Hedge Fund Awards 2015 www.acquisition-intl.com 56 Best for Currency Management Services & Best Global Macro Advisory Team - UK Founded in 1988, The ECU Group plc is one of the UK’s leading global macro advisory and currency management firms We are proud to have been named both “Best Global Macro Advisory Team - UK” and “Best for Currency Management Services”. These accolades are testament to our long term performance and the calibre, dedication and professionalism of our investment team and their sup- porting staff. The ECU Group plc’s (ECU) investment team is led by Michael Petley (ECU’s founder and CIO), Stephen Jen (ECU’s Head of Global Macro Research), Fatih Yilmaz (ECU’s Head of Quantitative Research) and Neil Staines (ECU’s Head of Trading). They are ably supported by the breadth and depth of ECU’s Global Macro Research and Advisory Team which includes Professor Charles Goodhart, CBE, (Economic & Central Bank Policy Adviser) George Magnus (Senior Economic Adviser), Neil MacKinnon (Global Macro Strategy Adviser), Kit Juckes (Senior FX & Fixed Income Adviser), Robin Griffiths (Chief Technical Strategist) and Simon Hunt (Commodity Adviser). For 25 years, our commitment and passion to deliver superior perfor- mance has enabled the company to navigate clients through many differing economic cycles, both positive and negative, providing them with continuity and reassurance in an ever changing investment world. In today’s economic environment the need for a professional, all-en- compassing investment strategy is more prevalent than ever. We believe that our global macro “big picture” investment philosophy, methodology and process are central to us providing all our clients with a structurally sound and well balanced global investment roadmap in order to optimise investment returns on a fully risk and currency adjusted basis. Our entire investment approach is based upon an ever adjusting balance of key considerations, in line with a changing financial and economic landscape. It is with these building blocks that we have evolved from focussing purely on currency risk management mandates to becoming a multi-fac- eted research and advisory firm, creating modern investment solutions to suit prevailing market challenges. Whilst we draw on a full range of investment principles and methodol- ogies, we maintain, as distinct from many, an overriding discretionary control over our global macro and currency management programmes. We believe that the progressive, hands on engagement of our investment process by high calibre and fully accountable investment professionals, subject to appropriate risk management protocols, is preferable to a number of rigid or systematic processes which have become increasing- ly susceptible to swift over-replication and market exploitation. On balance, the increasing potential for major unforeseen events in the world today points us to a preference for experience, underpinned by a deep understanding of markets, over automation. At heart, we are very much a “people business” driven by a collective will to perform, some- thing which is reflected in whom we deal with and the systems we deploy. With today’s significant global economic, political and social challenges, the importance of credible knowledge and experience should not be underestimated. After all, the financial landscape has changed markedly over recent years. Central banks have been engaging in ever more unconventional and untested policy tools. Policy short-termism has become a global disease. Bold and dramatic policy measures (be they excessive quantitative easing or currency intervention) have created a false, fractious and unbal- anced marketplace. Whilst the benefits of many of these measures are front-loaded, the costs will, no doubt, be back-loaded. The central bank- er’s role seems to have changed, radically. Traditionally tasked with setting the rules, they now seem to be playing the game at the same time. In steering through this new financial and economic world order, one requires not just an understanding of the world macro-economic back- drop, but a recognition and capturing of the key driving forces (be they financial, economic, political or social) and turning points. At ECU, we are driven by high calibre research inputs. In determining our global macro strategy, we draw upon the breadth and experience of our Global Macro Team, members of which contribute their considerable experience, expertise and independent views from each of their own specialist focal points (be they monetary policy, economics, techni- cal analysis, international politics, market intelligence or trading and execution) to assist us in developing a balanced and informed high level investment roadmap. Individual members of the committee are highly regarded in the investment industry and are advisers to a number of the world’s largest fund managers, sovereign wealth funds, central banks and governments. Michael Petley - Chief Investment Officer Stephen Jen - Head of Global Macro Research Andrew Broadhurst - Head of Institutional Currency Services Bansi Jashapara - Director, Research & Advisory Address: 100 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER Tel: +44 (0)20 7399 4600 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.ecugroup.com Fact File Best for Currency Management Services & Best Global Macro Advisory Team - UK The ECU Group plc